Activity Description

Summer is a time to kick back and relax, but when everything slows down it can also be a time to think about the things that matter. Encourage a child or teen you know to spend a little time thinking about just what makes a hero and who his or her personal heroes might be. Who knows? Maybe you’ll both be inspired to do heroic things, small or large.

Why This Is Helpful

Almost every book a child or teen reads or movie he or she watches has a hero. Learning how to identify what makes these characters heroic will be important in both reading and writing assignments to come. This activity guides children and teens in making a list of heroic traits, choosing a person who has these traits, and then writing about the person. They also get a chance to talk and write about what they think is important and how they hope to live their own lives.

This activity was modified from the ReadWriteThink lesson plan “Heroes Around Us.”